September 27, 2002

1 Min Read
Digestive Enzyme May Help Celiac Disease Sufferers

STANFORD, Calif.--Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Oslo in Norway reported peptidase, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, may have promise in the treatment of celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue. This autoimmune disease causes the inability to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley products.

In the Sept. 27 edition of Science (297:2275-9, 2002) (www.science.com), researchers led by Chaitan Khosla, Ph.D., found that gliadin, a part of gluten, is responsible for celiac disease. They found that gliadin, which is made up of 33 amino acids, contained fragments known to induce human T-cells to attack the intestine. Khosla et al showed gliadin is resistant to digestion and is responsible for the inflammation in the intestine experienced by celiac patients.

The researchers then exposed gliadin to digestive enzymes in vitro, repeating the study in rats and then on human tissue. Because gliadin is rich in the amino acid proline, peptidase--an enzyme known to digest proline--was shown to break down gliadin. Although study has been conducted via test tubes and rats, human trials are a long way off, Khosla admitted.

"These findings are the first step to giving people with celiac disease real hope for a normal life," Khosla said. Usually, the only effective treatment for the disease is to follow a gluten-free diet, which is fairly restrictive. "We think that this mode of therapy--peptidase supplementation--may offer hope in treating celiac sprue eventually."

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